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The Stay on Beverly Hostel a.k.a The Best Hostel Ever

While planning a trip to the West Coast for a prearranged conference, I wanted to do LA. I knew the city was expensive and after a few hours of research , I thought it was completely out of my budget. Then, I found the Stay on Beverly Hostel , which offered a private room for only $50.00 a night. I made my reservation without reading another word–$50.00 was about the average price of a bed in a normal American hostel and this place offered the luxury of a private room to relax in and store my belongings without worry. I admit, I wasn’t expecting much but the privacy gave me piece of mind and the price meant that LA was a go.

One of the reasons The Stay on Beverly is so cheap is because very little staff is required to keep it running. There is no check-in desk or keys to give out: A few days prior to arrival, guests are sent codes to the front door and their room. They have to punch these codes into a keypad to unlock the doors.

Because the hostel has a strict 4 pm check-in, I spent the morning exploring and after an hour and a half bus journey ( an hour of which I was going in the wrong direction) , the number 14 bus dropped me off across from the hostel. The building sits far back from the street, and is nearly covered in bamboo, so it took a few seconds of searching to find the building.

The Stay on Beverly Hostel

I crossed the street and even though it was only 3:30, a worker opened to door to let me in. The guy took a photo of my I.D and credit card before walking me through the place. In addition to a sitting area(with free red vines!) there is also a kitchenette with a microwave, a Keurig, and a free selection of coffee, teas, and hot chocolate.

Kitchenette

Entry way and common area

common area

There’s complimentary WiFi that I found to be strong and constant. There’s also a wireless printer for printing out directions and boarding passes. I had trouble using this but someone more tech savy might have better luck. Access to the Wifi, the printer, and goodies are all free. As I was told during the short tour, “There are no extras here.”

After hearing this , and seeing how lovely the common areas were I thought there must be a catch. Surely the rooms were closets with no windows and the bathrooms beyond foul.

Instead,I opened my bedroom door and saw that the room was also perfect. It was clean and large, had multiple power sockets, a desk, a mirror, a storage unit, a safe, and a full-sized bed with memory foam pillows and warm bedding. There was a bottle of fancy water and a bag of popcorn waiting for me on the desk. It even had a window!

the bedroom

TV and mini fridge

mirror and safe

Free water and popcorn!

The only negative I can think of is that my window seemed to be next to a fire station. Sirens went off regularly and I could hear conversations easily but I kept the window closed during the night and didn’t hear a sound until I opened it again the next morning.

And the bathrooms? There are three of them and all are clean and , to my delight, stocked to the brim with toilet paper. Shampoo and conditioner is also stored in the walk-in marble showers.

Bathroom- there’s also a mirror and sink in here

I also found the location suitable; it’s in the heart of Koreatown and while it doesn’t have the glitz and glamor people think of when they hear Las Angeles, it feels safe. There is a convenience store/gas station next to the hostel and a corner store across the street that sells bus passes. Multiple bus routes stop right in front of the hostel, which is not only convenient but life-saving for those traveling without a car.

So, to sum up: The Stay on Beverly is clean,more than comfortable, and extremely affordable. Even if you’re like me, and rely on the front desk for directions, the free Wifi makes it easy to look up directions and the buses are literally outside your front door. You won’t get the typical hostel experience: there are no bunk mates to befriend and I only saw a handful of people in my two days here. But if socializing isn’t high on your list and you are tired of waking up to snoring or other unsettling hostels sounds, this is a great alternative. You might even be able to get some work done, or at least get an undisturbed night of sleep before heading to the Hills the next day.

Disclaimer: No compensation was received for this review. All opinions are my own.

Great post! I have never stayed in a hostel but I would love to. Never got a chance mainly because every time I look at the rates, they seem way too expensive (some charge more or less same as a 4 star hotel) ..